Generator

MAwolcott wrote:
Hi folks! The wife and I are about to push the button on our order. We still have a couple years before we hit the road full time, but we want to have everything ready to go before I tell work to pack sand. Our question is about a generator. I've heard that it's best to have the manufacturer install one, rather than have it installed later. We don't intend on boondocking, but there's always that chance of driving down the road and seeing a nice place to stop, or if power happens to go out at a campground. For those of you that have one; how often do you use it? For those that don't have one; do you regret not having one?

What we did was to get a Cargo Hauler from Anytime Sports for around $60. We installed it with a Hitch Lock.
We then strapped our Generator down and secured it with a Padlock.
It has worked very well for us. Plus we are not bothered by Exhaust Fumes.
We have used it while traveling, maybe 4 or five times a Year.
Since we now have two 5th wheels that we never move, we will not use it that much.
One RV is in south Texas where we spend the Winter, the other is in Tennessee where we spend the Summer.
Whether you use it or not, you need to run it at least once a Month, or it will get where it will not run, and it will need to be serviced.I learned that the hard Way.
If there is a Power Outage at an RV Park, I cannot imagine that they would have an Objection to anyone using a Generator since everyone would be in the same Boat.

I don't full time but I rarely use my generator. If buying a new camper I don't think I'd bother having one. A good inverter and battery bank will run the microwave or toatster for a minute or too. If I want air conditioning I go to a CG that has electric. Most campgrounds won't let you run a generator around the clock for air conditioning anyway.
My generator is 13 years old. I think it has around 80 hours on it. The vast majority of that time was powering my house during power outages and just the normal "maintenance" running your supposed to do every once in a while.

Would not want to be without it or our 2000 watt Pure sine wave inverter

What is this?

We use ours several times a year. Sometimes for days at a time; sometimes won't use it for several weeks. Would not want to be without it or our 2000 watt Pure sine wave inverter. Makes us entirely self contained for up to two weeks or more at a time (given our water supply).